News

Costas' gun rant ill-timed

December 6, 2012

In the wake of last weekend's murder/suicide involving Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs, who shot and killed his girlfriend before committing suicide, sportscaster Bob Costas apparently felt the need to lecture the rest of us on gun control.

Costas, during halftime of a game between Dallas and Philadelphia, used his position as a sports commentator to offer his opinion on the "gun culture" in America. He also quoted newspaper columnist Jason Whitlock, offering that "Handguns to not enhance our safety" and "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and (girlfriend) Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today."

Well, apparently Costas and Whitlock know far more about Belcher's intentions that day than anyone else. Who's to say Belcher wouldn't have killed Perkins with another weapon had he not used one of his legally registered guns? There are a lot of violent crimes that happen without the involvement of guns.

Costas later said he wasn't calling for gun control, adding that he didn't want to see the Second Amendment repealed, but that "access to guns is too easy in some cases."

We're not in any way saying Costas doesn't have the right to express his opinion. He certainly does. But the timing was inappropriate, and we simply disagree with his opinion. Far too often, supporters of gun control forget to place proper blame on those who commit crimes. In this case, Belcher murdered the mother of his young child, then committed suicide in front of team personnel outside the stadium, including the team's coach and general manager. Those facts should not be forgotten.